Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele took a dramatic turn on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, when a Commissioner of Police testified that investigations into the alleged fraudulent withdrawal of $6.23 million from the apex bank revealed that the payment was made with Emefiele’s approval. Eloho E. Ekpoziakpho, a Commissioner of Police in charge of the Special Fraud Unit, Lagos, appeared as the 14th prosecution witness before Justice Hamza Mu’azu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja. Emefiele is facing an amended 20‑count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, forgery, abuse of office, and conspiracy to obtain by false pretence.
The witness, who previously served at the Force Intelligence Department where his duties included intelligence gathering on economic sabotage and terrorism financing, told the court that he participated in the interrogation of the defendant alongside Jim Obazee, the special investigator appointed by the President to probe the CBN. “In the course of the investigation, we got intelligence on the 6.23 million dollars that was fraudulently taken from the CBN branch in Abuja that had the governor’s approval when the defendant was the governor. We did an investigation and that was what led to his interrogation. The defendant was investigated,” Ekpoziakpho stated.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), the police officer further testified that investigations revealed the money was fraudulently taken, and that some suspects interrogated during the process had confessed. Crucially, the witness disclosed that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) denied ever requesting payment for foreign election observers. This contradiction lies at the heart of the prosecution’s case, which alleges that the $6.23 million was released from the CBN based on forged documents.
Ekpoziakpho identified a key document, Exhibit PD6, which he described as a letter forwarding the President’s approval from the SGF to the CBN, authorising the payment of $6.23 million to foreign election observers. The letter was dated January 26, 2023, and addressed to Emefiele in his capacity as CBN Governor. “Our findings relating to that document showed that it was honoured. It was treated and the money was paid. We recovered the document from the CBN where the money was cashed,” he said. The witness also identified Exhibit PD1 as the payment details, confirming that $6.23 million was disbursed on February 8, 2023, and Exhibit PD2 as a memo from the CBN’s Director of Banking Services instructing the payment.
At this point, defence counsel Matthew Burkaa (SAN) raised an objection under Section 128 of the Evidence Act, arguing that the witness could not give evidence on documents supplied by the prosecution without the documents themselves being properly tendered. In response, Oyedepo argued that the documents had already been admitted in evidence before the court. “We cannot allow the witness to give evidence without backing it up with documents. Section 128 they have referred to did not prevent a witness from giving oral evidence explaining the document in line with the case before the court. That section did not prevent explanation from the document by the investigator,” Oyedepo submitted.
Justice Mu’azu, in his ruling, held that since the documents were already before the court, the witness could be asked questions on them but could not delve into the contents of the documents beyond what had been admitted. The ruling allowed the prosecution to continue its line of questioning but placed a limitation on the witness’s ability to read from or interpret the exhibits.
Earlier in the trial, Ekpoziakpho confirmed that he knew Jim Obazee, the special investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu to probe the CBN. He said Obazee requested police officers from the Nigeria Police Force to assist in carrying out the assignment. “As the officer who led other officers in the special investigation, I assisted in taking statements, interrogating persons who were complicit in one way or another. I also provided intelligence to aid our work,” he told the court.
The police commissioner also identified Emefiele in the courtroom, confirming that he was the defendant in the dock. The witness’s testimony is significant because it directly links the former CBN governor to the approval of the controversial payment. The EFCC has consistently argued that there was no accredited foreign election observer mission for the 2023 general election, and that the $6.23 million was obtained through forgery and fraud.
The defence has yet to cross-examine the witness, as the prosecution’s examination‑in‑chief was still ongoing when the court adjourned. The defence is expected to challenge the credibility of the investigation and the authenticity of the documents. Justice Mu’azu adjourned the matter until July 2 and 3, 2026, for the continuation of trial.
The case has captured national attention, as it touches on the integrity of the 2023 election funding and the accountability of one of Nigeria’s most powerful financial officials. Emefiele has consistently denied any wrongdoing, and his legal team has maintained that the charges are politically motivated. The EFCC, however, insists that the evidence, including the testimony of the 14th prosecution witness, proves a deliberate scheme to steal public funds using forged presidential approvals.
As the trial progresses, the question of who authorised the payment remains unresolved. The SGF’s denial and the police commissioner’s testimony that the money was paid on Emefiele’s approval place the former CBN governor at the centre of the storm. The adjournment to July means that the conclusion of the trial is still months away, but each new witness brings the court closer to a verdict that could have lasting implications for Nigeria’s anti‑corruption efforts.
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